Moving-picture machine.



J. J. PINK.

MOVING PICTURE. MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1907.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

' Awa J. J. PINK.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1907.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

24 Jam] PLh/Z 5 7 JOHN J. PINK, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO.VIASCOPE MANUFACTURING coin PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF OKLAHOMA.

movme-rrc'rnnn MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-- Patented 0a. 5, 1909.

Application filed November 21, 1907. Serial No. 403,153.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join: J. PINK, residing at Chicago, in the county-of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain moving picture machines.

The object is to provide a practical, simple and comparatively inexpensive machine of this class, which shall "possess certain-novel characteristics and forms of construction, a description of which will be found in the following specification and the essential fea tures of which will be more particularly pointed outinathe claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished in which Figure lfis a front view of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 22, Fig. 1. Figs. 3', 4, 5 and 6 are views of the film shifter, showing the same in four dif- -has applied to it a series ferent positions. occupied in one cycle of operation of the shifter. Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line 77 Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a rear view of certain film guiding mechanism, with the gate swung into an open position. Fig. 9 is a fragmental side view of the frame. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken 'online 1010 Fig. 2. Fig-11, is

a detail section taken on line 1111, Fig. 1, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a cam frame.

In machines of this class, an intermittently moving film'is actuated by suitable mechanism, whereby the film is forced intermittently forward in front of a film aperture, through which the light passes. Theghlm of consecutive views of moving objects, showing the'diflerent positions assumed in their movements. In this'device I have provided a cheap, simple and eflicient mechanism for intermittently advancing the film to bring the views in rapid success on in front of the film aperture, and allowing them to remain atrest in such position during the greater part of a cycle of operation, whereby the image may remain in the eye during the interval that the film is shifted or advanced, and" "the breaks between the consecutive pictures will be practically unnoticed.

In the drawings 1, 1, are two side plates,

which may be secured to a suitable support by means of cars 2, that are riveted to the sides of the plates 1. The upper ends of the plates 1 are connected by a top plate 3, which has downwardly projecting flanges 3 that are screwed or riveted to the plates 1. A lens supporting plate 4:, extends across'the front and a plate 5 extends across the back, which plate 5 forms part of the film guiding mechanism. The plates 3, t and 5 are flanged upon their ends and screwed or otherwise secured to the plates 1. This construction alfords a very substantial frame for the various operating parts of the maplate 4,- and said -lens isiheld in-place in said support by a screw 8, that travels in a slot 9 formed in the support. The slot extends at an angle so that by turning the lens casing in its support, the screw will follow the path of the slot and advance or retract the ens.

' A film spool 10, carries the film A, and

is journaled upon a standard 11, which is secured upon the frame of the machine. The upper end of the standard is bent to form a spindle 12, for the spool, and an "annular groove 13 is formed near" the end of the spindle to serve as a seat for a locking pin 14 which is secured upon the spool. The pin is preferably 'of spring material and while seated in the groove prevents the spool from slipping off the spindle. The spool is preferably made in two parts 15, 16, whereby, when the parts are separated a coil of film may he slipped upon the hub 17 of the I part 15. A knurled button 18 is secured to the part 15, by means of which the spool may be revolved. This button is slotted in front of the groove .3, for the reception of the pin 14. v

The film is. carried past the lensby film shifting mechanism. which will now be described and which forms the important part of this invention.

A cam plate 20 (see Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive) bears the film engaging or shifter pins 21, and is arranged to be actuated by two cams 22, 23, which reciprocate the plate in a vertical direction, and oscillate it toward and away from the film. The pins 21 engage the perforations in the film A in the ordinary manner well 'known in the art, and draw the film down in the downward movement a frame 24, which contains flanges 25, 25

that project out from the plate and are engaged by the cam 22, to raise and lower the plate. The cam plate 20 is formed with an opening 26 for the cam 23, which cam works in said opening to move the cam plate back and forth from the film. The lower end of the cam plate 20 is slotted as at 27, and rides upon a stub shaft 28, secured upon one of the side plates 1, of the frame.- The two cams 22, 23, are mounted upon a shaft 29, journaled in bearings 30, and set screws 31 32 are provided in the hubs 33, 34: of the cams for setting the cams upon the shaft. The cam 23 contains flanges 23, that embrace the sides of the cam plate 20, and sleeves 28 are secured upon the stub shaft 28, on either side of the cam plate. The flanges 23 'and sleeves'28 act as guides for the cam plate and maintain it in proper position upon the cams and shaft 28, and consequently in proper relation with the film. The cam 22 has a face 35, which is concentric with its axis of rotation, two working faces 36, 37 that are eccentric therewith, and a second concentric face 38, which connects the ends of the eccentric faces 36, 37. The face 35 of the cam is preferably 90 degrees in extent and the faces 36, 37 are arcs of circles struck from the ends of the face 35 as centers, the radii of the arcs being the distances in a straight line from'the point 39 to the point 40. The distance between any two points which are diametrically opposite each other upon the concentric faces 35, 38, and between the points 39, 40 are equal, so that the cammay revolve between the flanges 25 and contact therewith at both top and bottom. The cam 22 is arranged to reciprocate the cam plate 20, once in a complete revolution of the cam. Starting with the parts as seen in Fig. 3, the first 90 degrees of revolution of the cam will have no effect upon the cam plate (see also Fig. 4;), as the faces 35, 38, which are in engagement with the flanges 25, are concentric with the axis of rotation of the cam. During the following 90 degrees of revolution, the cam face 36, will force the cam plate down to its lowest point (see Fig. 5); during the next 90 degrees of revolution, the concentric faces 35, 38, will again engage the flanges, during which time, the cam plate will be unaffected by the cam (see Fig. 6), and during the last 90 degrees of revolution the cam face 36, will raise the cam into its original position as seen in Fig. 3. The cam 23 is so positioned with respect to the cam 22 that it throws the cam plate toward the film, during the interval that the cam plate is in its upper position, and consequently while the concentric faces 35, 38, are acting up on the flanges 25, the cam retracts or eaaoei withdraws the cam plate away from the film, while the latter is in its lower position.

()nly one set of cams is used to actuate the cam plate, and the shaft 28 cotiperates with the cams to efi'ect the proper movement f the cam plate. The movement being effected by the cams, and the lower end of the plate being guided up on the shaft, the plate necessarily takes a certain orbital path in its movement, this path being controlled by the shape 'of the cams, the osition of the shafts and the shape of the s 0t 27, or its relative position with respect to the cam slot 26. For instance, were the slots 26, 27 in alinement with each other in a vertical line, then the cam 23 would throw the upper end of cam plate farther away from a center line passing through the two shafts, when the parts occupy the position in Fig. 3, than it would when the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 5, because the fulcrum upon which the plate swings is a shifting fulcrum, sometimes being nearer the top of the cam plate than at other times, the result being that when the cam plate is raised the cam 23 engages the plate approximately midway between its ends, whereas when the cam plate is down, the cam engages the plate at its upper end. For this reason the pins 21 must necessarily travel farther when the plate is up than when in its lower position, the result being that the pins would be withdrawn from the film before they reached their lower limit of travel, it being understood that it is impractical to make the pins of such great length that withdrawal from the film in such case would be an impossibility. To avoid this difliculty without any additional expense I have arran ed the slot 27 to extend at a slight angle to t e cam slot 26, and in a direction toward the film from said cam slot. This has the effect of causing the pins 21 to travel down, in a practically vertical line, although not theoretically vertical, as it is of importance that the pins slide a trifle in the perforations of the film, so that notches may not be worn into the pins at the points where they would otherwise bear upon the walls of the perforations. By providing a slight movement across the film, the wear becomes more uniform. While this arrangement of the slots does not equalize the throw of the cam plate, at top and bottom, yet it affords a means for keeping the short pins in engagement with the film during the entire downward pull upon the film.

The form of the cam 23 being that of a simple eccentric, there is of course a con tinual movement of the cam plate to and from the film, but the cam is so set that very slight lateral movement is given the cam plate while it is being reciprocated by the cam 22, and that the greatest amount of transverse movement takes place at the top and bottom of the stroke of the cam plate. This arrangement affords a simple and practical mechanismfor advancing the film in a step by step movement. 7

The shaft 29 bears a pinion 29 and a fly wheel 41, and the pinion meshes with a gear wheel 42, that is mounted upona shaft 43, journaled in the frame. A crank 44 secured to the shaft 43 affords means for its rotation.

Mechanism is provided for conveying the film to the film shifter, and for guiding the film, and holding it in a perfectly flat con: dition as it passes by the lens .and shifter. This mechanism comprises a sprocket 45 which is journaled upon a standard i6 and receives its movement from the shaft 43 by means ofsprockets 48, 49, and a chain 50.

A friction roller 51 is mounted upon a lever 52 and bears against' the sprocket 4:5, and a spring 53 pulls upon the lever 52, so as-to press the roller upon the sprocket or upon the film, whenever the latter is threaded between the sprocket and roller.

Guide ribs 54, upon the plate 5, are provided to guide the film against lateral movement, while passing by the lens and shifter. A hinged gate 55, together with the plate 5 and ribs 54 makes a tubular passage way through which the ribbon passes. The gate 55 supports pressure shoes 56 that bear upon the film and hold it taut. The plate 5 is provided with slots 57 for the pins 21, and the shoes 56 are likewise provided with slots 58 inasmuch the pins project through the slots'and perforations in the film when in engagement with the film. The gate is locked 'in .its closed position by a latch 59 that engages a tongue 55 upon the gate. Openings 60, 61 are provided in the plate 5 and gate 55, which openings are in line with the lens, and permit the light from the lamp topassthrough one picture at a time. In

a machine of this type the.light should not be very strong, that is to say in a machine where no light shutter is used, the light i should not be of that intense brilliancy which is used where shutters are used, otherwise the picture will be streaked.

Any of the well known films may be used with this machine, and a particular descrip tion thereof is deemed unnecessary so far as this specification is concerned, sufiice it to say that such films contain a series of pictures of animatedobject-s, and perforations which are provided adjacent thereto for engagement wit-h the shifter pins, as is usual.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: v

1. In a moving picture machine, the combination of an oscillatory and reciprocatory cam plate, a stationary fulcrum therefor, a

film shifter pin rigidly secured to said plate, cam mechanism for reciprocating the cam plate longitudinally of the film, and for oscillating the cam plate transversely of the film at the ends of the reciprocatory strokes, and a guiding mechanism for shifting the fulcrumed end of the cam plate laterally with respect to the filmto control the downward movement of the pin in a line approximately parallel with the film.

2. In amoving picture machine, the combination of an oscillatory cam plate, a shifter pin thereon, a pair of cams arranged toimpart to said plate an oscillatory, reciprocatory movement, and means for shifting the fulcrumed end of said plate laterally with respect'to the film to control the movement of the pin in one direction in a line approximately parallel with the film.

3. In a moving picture machine, the combination of it cam plate fulcrumed at one end upon a stationary fulcrum, a shifter pin on said plate for the film, cam mechanism operation in a line approximately parallel with the movement of the film.

5. In a moving picture machine the combination of an oscillatory and reciprocatory cam plate, a shifter pin thereon, a pair of cams arranged to impart to said cam plate, an oscillatory, reciprocatory movement, a stationary guide and an inclined guide upon the plate cotiperatin with the stationary guide to shift the fiilcrumed end of the camplate in a lateral direction with respect to the film so as to direct the downward movement of the pin, in a line approximately parallel with the movement of the film.

6. Inca moving picture machine, the combination of film guiding mechanism, a film advancing cam plate having an oscillatory shifter pin thereon, a pair of cams arranged to impart to said plate an oscillatory, recipsaid canrplate having a pin and slot connection with a stationary portion of the machine arranged to direct the downward movement of the shifter pin in a line approximately parallel with the movement of the film.

, 8. In a moving picture machine the combination of film guiding mechanism, a film shifting cam plate, having a cam slot, and a guide slot extending at an angle to each other, a stationary pin slidable in said guide slot, a cam in said cam slot operating to oscillate the cam plate, and a cam operating to reciprocate the cam plate.

9. In a moving picture machine, the combination of film guiding mechanism. an oscillatory and reciprocatory film shifting cam p1ate fulcrumed upon one end, cams for reciprocating and oscillating said cam plate, a stationary pin forming the fulcrum of the cam plate and a guide upon said cam plate engaging the 'pin for shiftingthe fulcrumed end of the cam plate laterally with respect to the film.

10. In a moving picture machine, film shifting mechanism comprising a cam plate, having means for engagement with the film, and formed with a cam slot and a. guide slot extendingat an angle to each other, a pin in said guide slot, forming a fulcrum for the plate, means for reciprocating the plate and a cam operating in said cam slot to oscillate the plate upon its fulcrum.

11. In a moving picture machine, film shifting mechanism comprising a cam plate, having means for engagement with the film, and formed with a cam slot and a guide slot extending at an angle to each other, a pin in said guide slot, forming a fulcrum for the plate, means for reciprocating the plate, a cam operating in said cam slot to oscillate upon its fulcrum, and guide flanges upon said cam embracing the plate.

12. In a moving picture machine, film shifting mechanism comprising a cam plate, having means for engagement with the-film, and formed with a cam slot and a guide slotextending at an angle to each other, a pin in said guide slot, forming a fulcrum for the plate, means for reciprocating the plate,

guide flanges upon the cam, and sleeves upon the pin embracing the plate and forming lateral guides therefor.

In witness whereof I have executed the above application at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 18th day of November 1907.

JOHN J. PINK. 

